Arrhythmia
by PixieKayGirl
Summary: Quick one-shot (probably) alternate ending to Jack and Sue's final scene in Prodigal Father. J/S fluff.


**A/N Just a quick one-shot (probably, unless I decide to write more because I have ideas of what could happen from here but I can't decide if they're worth writing out when they're all pretty heavily hinted at/foreshadowed in this) alternate ending for Prodigal Father. Spoilers for the episode, of course! Also, I dashed this off super-fast and just gave it one quick read-through edit, so I hope it flows alright and all. And of course, none of the show/characters are mine, because if it/they were it wouldn't have ended with a teasing "for now" that never got followed up on! Ah, well, we fanfic writers will just have to stand in that gap, huh?**

Sue was fighting to keep a brave face through the whole awkward conversation, as Jack explained why his ex- or current? - girlfriend was staying at his place to help keep an eye on him while he was recuperating, right after he had seemed to indicate that he intended to pursue a relationship with Sue. But was that even what he'd been hinting at before Allie came in? She honestly wasn't sure. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

So when he said he wasn't sure what he and Allie were at this point, what else could she do? She wanted to say, "Is it her, or is it me? You can't have both." But the actual words that her mouth formed were, "I hope it works out the way that you want it to." There. That was pretty good. Vague enough not to project her own wishes, not presuming or assuming anything one way or the other, and still leaving a little bit of hope for herself while also wishing him what she truly did want - his happiness.

Movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention and she glanced to the now-open elevator beside her, then said rather unnecessarily, "Your elevator's here." Duh. She knew elevators dinged when they arrived, so he'd probably heard it even if he didn't happen to see the doors open himself. He probably saw the doors open.

He stepped toward the elevator and for a moment, she thought he was going to leave without saying anything else, but just as he was in the way of the door, preventing it from closing, he turned back to her. "Do you really mean that? That you hope it works out the way I want it to?"

She nodded. "Of course, Jack. I - uh, I care about you, and I want you to be happy." She was just thinking that she should include other friends in that, maybe not be quite so specific, but before she could amend her words, she was caught off-balance as he gripped her arm and pulled her into the elevator with him. "Jack! What-?"

He reached out and hit the door-close button, Levi having just made it through before they started sliding shut. Before they'd even finished closing, he turned to her, still holding her hand, and then reaching out to grab her other. "Sue, in the hospital I was trying to -" He paused, then quickly changed tacts. "No, there isn't time, I just . . . if you really mean you want it to turn out the way I want it to-"

She nodded, eyes wide, body _very_ close to his, heart pounding so hard she briefly wondered if she had to worry about an arrhythmia too.

He forged ahead, apparently trying to speak faster than the elevator moved. "If it were to turn out the way I want, it would have to be like this." And before she had time to process what that meant, much less what he was going to do, his lips were on hers.

It only lasted a moment, not enough time to even respond, before he pulled back to gauge her reaction. She stared into his eyes for a moment, then glanced at the lights indicating what floor they were passing. They showed they were nearly at the lobby, so rather than do what she wanted to, which was kiss him again, she just gave him a small smile and said softly, "That would be a very nice way for it to turn out. My favorite outcome, actually."

And then the elevator doors were sliding open, and she thought she would have to let him go. But nobody was waiting to get on, and instead of stepping out, he pressed the button for the topmost floor of the building. "Jack? What are you-?"

Once again, he turned to her as the doors slid shut. "Do you mean that?"

Did she mean to protest? Oh, no, did she meant what she'd said before the doors opened. "Yes, of course! Uh, I mean . . . if you really mean that you . . . ."

"Yes, Sue, I really mean it."

"Then . . . um," she hesitated, hating to break the mood but needing to know, "then what about-?"

"Allie? Sue, I swear, I had no idea she was coming. And I didn't really need those pajamas, I just needed to send her to get something because I knew you were coming, but she got back too fast, or maybe I just talked too slow. My parents just mentioned to her that I was in the hospital, and she showed up to help, and I've known her for so long and we stayed friends after we broke up and I just didn't know how to turn her away." His eyes were begging, pleading, and comically almost reminded her of Levi begging for a cookie, but this was serious and she managed not to laugh.

Instead, she took a deep breath. "Jack, what if . . . what if I take some time off, and I come look after you? And . . . I don't know how this will work because teammates aren't supposed to be in relationships, but there's got to be some way to work this out."

His pleading eyes turned hopeful, then delighted, and his mouth followed suit into such a wide grin she had trouble reading his lips as he asked, "You really mean it? I mean, are you absolutely sure?"

She glanced at the doors that had just slid open at the top floor, and pressed the button for their own floor so she could return to the bullpen. "I better go get that paperwork going if I'm going to request time off, and you, mister, better go get rid of a certain ex-girlfriend."

"Yes! Absolutely!" The doors slid open at their floor, and he held his arm in front to prevent them from sliding shut again as he asked, "So . . . I'll see you after? I mean, I'm guessing you can't get the time off expedited so quickly as to leave early."

"I'll see what I can do. And she'll be gone when I get there?"

"Yes, absolutely. I'll make sure of it." He smiled. "After all, we just rode this elevator in a full cycle without a single other person trying to get on at any floor. That's almost unprecedented. It really must be our time."

She smiled back. "I kept hoping it was."

Sue started to walk away, then turned to look over her shoulder. "Oh, and Jack?"

He didn't have to turn back to her - he was still staring, having been watching her retreating form. "Yes?"

"That, um, way that you said you hoped it would work out? I expect a whole lot more of that when I get there."

And she walked off, knowing he was still watching her, and desperately hoping he had taken his antiarrhythmic medication when he was supposed to. She intended to ensure that he would need it.


End file.
